Fire officials reported at a community meeting on Friday that the Eaton Fire, which has burned 13,690 acres in the Altadena area, is not expected to grow significantly as winds have weakened. This development has allowed firefighters to make progress against the blaze.
Fire Behavior Analyst Dennis Burns highlighted the positive impact of the diminished wind influence, stating, 'The big difference today from the past several days is we’ve lost the wind influence.' Crews have been able to utilize aircraft to attack the fire, focusing their efforts on the fire's west side, where the initial significant push occurred, according to Section Chief Ernie Villa.
Despite the fire remaining active, Burns reassured the community by stating, 'In the absence of wind, we’re not expecting the fire to make any significant pushes. We’re not expecting the fire to significantly move at all.'
Evacuation orders in the Pasadena area have been lifted, as confirmed by Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin. However, residents are facing the harsh reality of the losses incurred due to the fire.
Victoria Knapp, chair of the Altadena town council, expressed the profound impact of the destruction, stating, 'Our town has been forever changed by the destruction, and many of us, including council members, have lost our homes and businesses. Our schools, churches, restaurants, parks, water reservoirs, and many cherished historic buildings have been lost, some of which can never be replaced.'
